Broadcast License - Technical Specifications

Technical Specifications

Management of technical specifications (such as those in broadcast television systems) is normally undertaken as a part of broadcast licensing in each country. Radio bands carry signals (such as video and audio, digital and analog, narrowband, broadband and content), and are licensed differently.

The broadcast license typically specifies the following minimum information:

• Geographic coordinates, with exact latitude and longitude
• Carrier frequency and bandwidth
• Modulation type
• Effective radiated power (ERP)
• Height above average terrain (HAAT)
• Directional antenna radiation pattern, specified at several azimuths

Additionally, it often specifies:

• Operating hours (for mediumwave and shortwave)
• Transmitter power output (TPO) (before any attenuation or gain)
• Broadcast auxiliary services (BAS) linking studio and transmitter sites
• Antenna brand and model
• Height above mean sea level (AMSL) and above ground level (AGL)
• Backup facilities (which may have separate licenses)
• Additional service authorizations (subcarriers, digital radio)

Some countries (such as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in Canada) specify radio format or the genre of television programming, to ensure diversity. Community stations (such as class A television service and LPFM stations in the U.S.) may be required to broadcast local content each week. U.S. broadcast translator licenses prohibit local content on FM, while LPTV stations vary. In some cases, two stations may share the same frequency in the same area. In the city of New York, 89.1 MHz is reserved for the United Nations; however, it is used instead by WNYU-FM and WNYU-FM1.